A letter calling on the Prime Minister to provide better funding for mental health care has been signed by 160 MPs to mark the recent World Mental Health Day.

In the letter, MPs said: “We would like to see this aspiration become a reality and believe ring-fencing will get us one step closer to real equality for mental health.”

The letter follows claims that local health authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups are failing to improve mental health services.

The MPs also warned: “We see this injustice every day in our constituencies. Our constituents face long waits to access mental health services, if they get a referral at all.

“The number of young people and adults turning up at A&E in a crisis continues to rise.

“The amount and quality of contact provided in the community has diminished significantly. And too often inpatient treatment means leaving family and friends for a unit hundreds of miles from home.”

A new £15 million campaign has been announced by the Government to train up to a million people in basic mental health ‘first aid’ skills.

Commenting on the campaign, the Prime Minister said: “I want to use the power of Government as a force for good to transform the way we deal with mental health problems right across society, and at every stage of life.

“Tackling the injustice and reducing the stigma associated with mental health conditions is a priority for me, which is why today I set the goal of providing one million members of the public with basic mental health awareness and first aid.”